Slow Cooked Beef Tacos

Well, I had every intention of making enchiladas, but yesterday was one of those days when neither my husband or I seemed to get anything done.  And it wasn't from lack of trying.  Some days are just harder to be productive than others.  I think the reason was that we didn't eat breakfast until noon.  We were trying so hard to get things done, that we forgot about the most important morning activity: breakfast!  Not eating breakfast can really screw your day up!  Lesson learned.

I did make some yummy slow cooked beef and bean tacos, though.  With a tomatillo salsa...one of my favorites!  Tomato salsa is classic and delicious, but there is something special about tomatillos.  They look like little green tomatoes wrapped in delicate, lacy paper, like insect wings.  Before culinary school, I had passed them by many times, and ignored them because I simply didn't know what to do with them.  It is actually amazing what you can pass by in grocery when you don't know what you're looking at.  But after taking Latin Cuisine, I fell in love with the simply delicious tomatillo.  They are very easy to cook, and puree into a smooth texture, which makes them perfect for salsas and sauces.  Plus, they are naturally very acidic, which helps to balance the deep, rich flavors of Latin cooking.  

The beef recipe below is something that I've already done in another post (here), but it contains slightly different ingredients.  Plus, this recipe is a perfect staple to have in your repertoire.  Shredded beef goes with just about anything....tacos, enchiladas, nachos, etc.  Beans are easy to make and to freeze in order to have on hand when needed.  And this easy tomatillo salsa is great for dipping or saucing!

Slow Cooked Shredded Beef

1 quart chicken stock
1 cup onion, medium dice
2 cloves garlic, rough chop
2 Serrano peppers, rough chop (jalapenos or habeneros work too!)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili pepper
1 pound stew meat (or I used part of a chuck roast, cut into 1" pieces)
salt to taste (about 1-2 tsp...but not too much because the liquid will reduce down)
ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan.  Cover the pan, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer on medium low heat for 60-90 minutes or until beef is tender enough to shred.  Take the beef out of the liquid and use two forks to shred it into small pieces.  It can be put back into the liquid, or be left separate.  The liquid will have reduced down and can be used as a sauce for the beef...or used as a sauce base like I did with the tomatillo salsa.
Note: This would be the perfect time to use a crockpot if you have one!

Tomatillo Salsa

1 pound tomatillos
1 cup onion, rough chop
2 cloves garlic
1-2 large jalapenos, stems trimmed and cut lengthwise
1 cup cilantro, rough chop
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
lime juice to taste, if needed

Additions:
Instead of adding the olive oil, salt, and pepper, I just added the liquid from the slow cooked beef.  It had reduced down nicely, and contained enough fat to emulsify with the tomatillos.

1. Remove paper from tomatillos and wash thoroughly until they are no longer sticky.  Cut in half and place on an oiled baking sheet with jalapenos.  Put under a broiler for 7-10 minutes or until tomatillos start to form black spots on top.

2.  Let tomatillos and jalapenos cool for a few minutes.  Then, add them to a food processor along with the onion, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, salt, pepper, lime juice.  Puree until smooth.  Serve immediately, or refrigerate.

Beef and Bean Tacos:

Shredded Beef
beans
corn or flour tortillas, warmed (or used tortilla chips and make nachos!)
tomatillo salsa
Garnish: shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, fresh jalapeno slices, cheese, avocado, bell pepper, green onion
(I used the bean sprout, cilantro, garlic/chili, green onion mix from my Kuaytiaw!)